The Familiar of Zero Trouble In Paradise
by King-0-Hell
Summary: Saito takes Louise to see his world, and to meet his parents... utter hilarity follows as their friends also make an unexpected appearance. First fan fic, so feedback greatly appreciated
1. A Tearful Reunion

**The Familiar of Zero – Trouble In Paradise**

Based after the ending of the anime, where soon after their wedding, Saito takes Louise to see his world, and to meet his parents, whom he has not seen since he was summoned to be Louise's familiar. Things, however, don't go entirely to plan, and utter hilarity follows as their friends also make an unexpected appearance.

Authors Note – This is my very first fan-fiction, so reviews and tips would be greatly appreciated. The current plan is for this to be only a few chapters long, but I will expand this if I can keep the idea's coming.

**Chapter 1 – A Tearful Reunion**

Saito stood outside the front gate of his parents' house. He'd returned to this place several weeks ago after he was sent back by Louise during their fight against the Ancient Dragon that had awoken and was destroying everything in its path while hunting for the Void users, but he'd not had the courage to ring the bell and see them. Now he was back, and this time he had Louise, his Master and now wife, after they got married following the defeat of the Ancient Dragon. So much had happened since he last saw his parents, and he knew that they'd never believe any of it in a million years. He'd been summoned to a world of magic and dragons, was in fact a legendary familiar capable of using any weapon, he'd also fought in two wars, and just helped kill an immortal dragon with a jet he stole from Earth. Saito glanced to his right, and saw Louise fidgeting slightly. She was still wearing her Academy uniform.

"You nervous?" Saito asked, giving Louise a playful tap on the head.

"Of course not" Louise muttered

"Liar" Saito thought, and gave Louise a kiss on the cheek, making her blush slightly. "You'll be fine" he reassured her. "Though it might be an idea to keep the magic a secret until we've had a chance to explain things" he added. The last thing he wanted was Louise suddenly using her Explosion spell in his parents' house.

Louise simply sighed. "I know… magic doesn't exist in this world. Don't worry, we'll try and explain everything as best we can, and if not… well, I can always use the portal spell to prove it."

Saito nodded. At least if Louise used that spell, he knew there wouldn't be a risk of anything going boom. Louise may be able to cast magic, but anything other than a Void spell still resulted in a loud explosion that wrecked almost everything in the room.

"Well I suppose we can always count on one thing." Saito began, as he looked around the street

"What's that?" Louise asked, curious about where this was going

"If I can win over your parents to accept me as your husband, then this shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Louise nodded in response. It was no secret that Louise's parents had been dead set against them getting married. It had been a hard ask winning them over to the idea of their youngest daughter marrying her familiar, but they finally were able to get them to agree to it, mainly when they could see that neither of them was going to back down, and was prepared to marry without their permission. But even so, she couldn't help feel nervous about what was to come.

Saito held her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Well… here we go." He thought, as he reached forward and pressed the bell. There was a brief pause, and an uncomfortable silence followed. The front door opened, and there stood Saito's mother, in complete shock.

"S…Saito?" she stuttered, before running and wrapping her arms around him and held him as tightly as she could. Louise let go of Saito's hand to he could hug her back.

"I'm back" he wept, unable to keep the tears back after not seeing his mother for so very long. They held each other for what felt like an eternity.

"Where have you been?" she asked, as she slowly broke off the hug. "And who is this cute girl?" she asked, looking at Louise, who began to blush after being called cute.

"It's a long story mom" Saito answered. "We'll explain everything as best we can inside. Is dad home?"

Saito's mom nodded slowly, still struggling to take in the fact that her son was here, back home after being missing for just over two years. "Come in, and have a seat, I think your father's working out in the garden. I'll fetch him, and you can tell us everything over a drink and a bite to eat."

She turned and hurried back inside. Saito could hear her calling for his dad. "So far… so good." Louise thought to herself as Saito led her inside. After taking their shoes off, Saito took her to the lounge and beckoned her to sit next to him on the sofa. Louise couldn't believe the things she was seeing in Saito's house as she glanced around the room. She'd always heard that he lived in a world where humans embraced technology and the idea of magic was merely fantasy, but to actually see it in person was a whole different experience.

"Professor Colbert would love to see all this" Louise whispered to Saito, who chuckled in response.

"I get the feeling he'd never want to leave… still, maybe we should bring him one day in the future, and all our friends as well"

Louise and Saito continued sit down and wait for Saito's mom and dad to enter the room. As Saito's dad entered, he too was overcome with emotion and gave his son a massive hug, clearly also trying to hold back the tears of joy. Louise noticed just how much Saito looked like his dad; she could clearly see that he got his thick hair from him. "So… who's this lovely young lady?" he asked as Saito's mom brought in some drinks and snacks. "And more to the point, just where have you been?"

Saito began to explain everything that had happened in great detail. He did, however, alter a few things, like how he technically died while standing against an army of almost 70,000 so his friends could escape, he told them that while he was wounded, he was able to slip away and was helped to recover by Tiffa, then half-elf half-human who lived in a hidden hut in the woods. His parents listened intently, right down to the Saito and Louise getting married. Shock and awe were written all over their faces, as well as huge amounts of disbelief.

As Saito finished, there was a long silence. The only sound came from the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Louise lowered her head. "I'm sorry", she whimpered, "for all the pain and sadness I've caused you both." Saito's father just shook his head.

"I'm finding this… A little hard to believe, I must be honest Saito. All this talk of magic, dragons, elves and all that… well, it just sounds like something out of a movie or a video game."

Louise looked puzzled, wondering what these "Movies" and "Video Game" things were, but kept silent. She'd ask Saito about them later.

"I know it's hard for you to understand, so… it might be easier if I show you." Louise said, as she stood up, and walked over to a corner of the room. Getting her wand out from her pocket, she began to cast the incantation that would open the portal back to Hakelginia.

As the portal opened, Saito's parents' jaws dropped open in amazement. "On the other side of this portal, is my world." Louise said simply. Saito's parents got up slowly, and walked over to the strange glowing portal and peered through. On the other side, they could see a large Manor, with rolling hills and forests behind it.

"In all my years…" Saito's mother began "I never dreamed I'd see something like this" Saito smiled. He knew that feeling all too well. He still got it from time to time himself. There was still so little he knew about Hakelginia himself. Louise sat back down, and after a few seconds, so did Saito's parents. They then began to talk about each other, finding out as much as they could about the new members of their respective family.

Saito decided to use this as a good opportunity to slip out to the kitchen while everyone was in deep conversation to get another drink. As he poured himself out a glass of water, he looked out at his parents' garden. "Looks like there was nothing to worry about" he thought to himself. Suddenly, a load scream erupted from the lounge, and Saito charged in only to find his parents cowering on the opposite side of the room, several items of furniture on their side, Lousie with her mouth wide open in shock, and the head of a certain blue dragon peering through the portal and glancing around the room.

"Slyphid!" Saito and Louise both yelled in surprise "What the hell are you doing here!"

* * *

So, the end of Chapter 1. Chapter 2 should hopefully be done soon - just working on a few minor details for the full story. As I said at the top of the story, this is my very first fan-fic, so reviews and tips are very much welcome :)


	2. Of Maids, Dragons and Royalty

**The Familiar of Zero – Trouble In Paradise**

**Chapter 2 – of Maids, Dragons and Royalty**

**Back In Halkeginia…**

Siesta was busy cleaning around the mansion as usual. She'd just seen her Master and Mistress leave though the portal to Saito's world… Earth… the world from which her Grandfather came from originally, and found himself unable to return to. She wished that she could've gone with them, but had decided to remain behind and look perform her daily duties. She knew that this was going to be an awkward meeting, so keeping the number of new faces to a minimum on this particular visit was a must if Saito's parents were to understand everything that had happened to him since his disappearance.

Saito had promised to take her one day in the future, and she knew he would. He was a man who always kept his promises. Siesta cared for Saito, and deeply valued his friendship, as well of that of Louise's, though she knew that they'd had an on-off friendship in the past… mainly around trying to win Saito's affections. Siesta sighed, and looked out the window. Much had changed since the battle against the Ancient Dragon. The various Kingdoms had signed up to a new alliance planned out by Queens Henrietta of Tristen, and Charlotte (or Tabitha, as her friends called her back from when she changed her name during her time at the Academy) of Gallia, in which all would work together to help rebuild the damage in Romalia and Albion that had been caused in the wars and by the Ancient Dragon. Tristen and Gallia had also begun work on improving relations with the Elves, who, under the command of Vitartial, had sent a fleet to help defeat the Ancient Dragon.

Both sides knew that it would be a very long time until both sides began to fully trust the other. The distrust between Human and Elf kind ran deep, and had caused countless wars. Some on both sides were claiming that this peace should never be agreed upon, that only one race deserved to exist, but these people were a small minority. After so long as enemies, and after the recent events, most people wanted to give peace a chance.

Since Saito and Louise had gotten married, a small but skilled workforce had begun building now homes and stores in Ornières. The workforce was paid for by Louise's parents, claiming that as a noble, she should at least have people who look up to her on a daily basis… Saito had spoken to Louise's eldest sister, Cattleya at the wedding about the gift, who admitted that the real reason was they at least wanted to make life as comfortable for Louise as possible. Cattleya had always been the most understanding of Louise's two sisters, and the only member of her family to support their marriage without any issues. Saito had been helping the workforce on wherever he could, and many had already decided to remain in the area after their work was done with their families.

As Siesta looked out over the lands, her eyes were drawn to a figure in the sky, then several coaches and people on horseback on the road. As the coaches came better into view, she noticed that they bore the Royal Insignia's of Tristen and Gallia, and the Dragon was none other than Slyphid, Tabitha's familiar.

"Looks like I've got company…" Siesta thought to herself. She readied a few cups before she headed down to meet the guests. Siesta hadn't seen any of her old friends since Louise and Saito's wedding. Despite the majority of them being nobles, and royalty, most spoke to her as they would anyone else.

Siesta emerged at the front door just as Queen Henrietta was helped down from her Carriage. Her clothes were, as always, amazing. A pure white dress with a small purple cape… It was generally agreed that no matter what she wore, she always looked incredible. Tabitha was dressed in a light blue dress, and was wearing a black robe identical to the one she wore as a uniform at the Magic Academy, but with Gallia's emblem on the back. Siesta smiled as the Royal Party approached.

"It's been a while Siesta" Henrietta said kindly. "I hope you've been well."

"Very, your Highness, and how about yourselves?" she asked, as she curtseyed.

"As well as can be expected, after everything that's happened." Henrietta replied.

"Same" Tabitha added, nodding. She still wasn't a person who liked showing her emotions.

"I saw the work that's underway in the town… looks like you're making some good progress" Henrietta added, looking back down the road.

Siesta nodded. "Yes, things are moving fairly smoothly, but come inside, I'll get us some drinks and something to eat, and we can catch up properly."

Henrietta and Tabitha nodded and followed Siesta inside. Their guards remained outside, as did Slyphid, who was wishing she could take her human form for and join her Master inside… but, her master had asked to remain in this form unless told otherwise, so she had to obey.

As Slyphid prepared to lie down, a flash of green light caught her attention, as well of that of the soldiers nearby. A strange circle had appeared, and had drawn the attention of the nearby guards, who quickly raised their weapons. Slyphid let out a low growl, confused by this strange thing that had just appeared, and Tabitha quickly appeared at a nearby window, reacting to her familiar's call.

"Portal" she said simply, as Henrietta and Siesta appeared beside her.

"Isn't that Louise's Void magic?" Henrietta asked.

Siesta nodded. "Yes, but they only left an hour ago… it's too soon for them to be returning. But if they are, we might as well go and greet them." The three left the window and headed back outside to greet their friends

Slyphid approached the portal slowly and bent down to look through it. She thought she saw movement from the other side of it. As she looked closer, she recognised Louise, began to purr and without a second thought, stuck her head through the portal to say hello to her Master's friend. Siesta, Tabitha and Henrietta appeared at the front door. Henrietta saw the troops with their weapons trained on the portal, and then she noticed Slyphid's head had gone into the portal

Henrietta and Siesta were slightly surprised, while Tabitha just shook her head. "Curious" she stated simply.

A scream could be heard, and everyone looked around, trying to pin-point the source, until they realised it came from the portal.

Siesta's jaw dropped, having just remembered something Saito had told her before they left.

"Tabitha, get Slyphid to pull her head out quickly" She yelled.

Tabitha nodded, and gave a whistle. Slyphid's head slowly re-emerged from the portal, rather sheepishly. She knew she'd done something wrong.

"Do you know something?" Henrietta asked

Siesta nodded slowly. "Saito took Louise to meet his parents on Earth about an hour ago… He also said that they may have to open a portal in order to prove the existence of magic, and our world, to them."

Henrietta and Tabitha were both silent. They remembered what Saito had told them about his world, about his home. A world of Technology, a world without magic, or dragons or many of the creatures that they would see in their day-to-day lives.

Henrietta gulped gently, having just realized how much trouble Slyphid might have just caused… and the possible panic if she'd appeared in a public place. Tabitha had also clearly had the same train of thought. "Awkward" she muttered, which Siesta thought was the understatement of the century, while an anime style sweat drop appeared on Henrietta's head.

Henrietta looked towards the guards, who still had their weapons trained on the portal. "Lower those guns" she ordered, the soldiers did so, slowly. It was clear to see they were worried about this srange thing that had just appeared before them.

**Back in Saito's house…**

Saito's parents were shaking; they'd been scared out of their wits, just as most people would have. After all, it's not every day you see a dragon stick it's head through a portal… well, it's not every day you see a portal full stop, but I digress.

Saito looked over at Louise, who was completely fine, if not a bit shocked herself. He quickly headed over to his parents and helped them up. He looked back over to the portal and saw Slyphid slowly pull her head out of the portal. "Was… that a dragon?" Mrs Hiraga asked, trying to calm herself down. Saito nodded, "Yes, it's the familiar that belongs to one of our friends... though just what she's doing at our home is anybody's guess". He turned to Louise, who had come over to check if Saito's parents were alright.

"Was Tabitha meant to be visiting us?" he asked. Louise shook her head.

"No, last I heard, she was still in Gallia sorting out the peace plan with the Elves" she replied.

Saito sighed. "So much for everything going smoothly" he thought to himself. He knew he had to find out just what was happening on the other side. After all, better safe than sorry. He walked over to the portal. "Just give me one moment" and with that, he put his head through, and hoped to find out just why Slyphid was here.

**Back in** **Halkeginia…**

There was tension in the air. Though the soldiers had been ordered to lower their weapons, they were still on edge. Siesta was toying with the idea of walking through the portal herself, to make sure everything was alright on the other side. As she and the Queens continued to stare at the portal, they could see a shape getting closer. "Someone's coming" Tabitha murmured. A few moments later, Saito stuck his head through the portal suddenly, making everyone jump. Siesta almost screamed, and several of the guards re-aimed their weapons, and one even fired a shot that luckily went just wide of Saito's head.

"ARGH!" Saito yelled in shock, he was barely able to stop himself falling completely through the portal and into Halkeginia.

"SAITO!" Siesta yelled, and ran towards him without thinking. The next thing Saito knew, Siesta had lunged herself at him, knocking him back through the portal completely, and both vanished through back to Saito's house.

Tabitha sighed and shook her head, while Henrietta sweat dropped. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't going to end well for Saito?" She asked allowed. Tabitha looked at her and nodded. "Louise" was her sole answer, and both suspected what would happen next.

**Back in Saito's House…**

Saito fell back through the portal onto the floor, and Siesta landed right on top of him; his face was buried in her chest. Siesta was fixated on the room and was looking around like a kid in a candy shop, but still did not get off Saito. She'd crossed into the world of her Grandfather…Earth. She could see Saito's parents in the corner of the room, their mouths open in shock. She then sensed the murderous intent that filled the room. As her eyes found the source, she paled. Louise was in full rage mode.

"Saito… Just what do you think you're doing with Seista?" She asked, her teeth grinding as she spoke.

"mmph msn't mpy mpault!" (This isn't my fault!") came the reply from underneath Siesta's chest.

Siesta saw Louise raise her wand, and braced herself for what was coming.

"EXPLOSION!"

Part 3 will hopefully be up in the next few days


	3. The Wind Approaches

**The Familiar of Zero – Trouble In Paradise**

**Chapter 3 – The Wind Approaches**

As Louise cast her Explosion, a bright light filled the room, blinding Saito's parents. The next thing they knew, they were being forced against the wall by the sheer power, and deafened by the sound of her spell. Windows shattered, sending glass and pieces of what used to be furniture into the street. The shockwave from the blast also managed to set off every car and house alarm down the street, and had created a large smoke cloud that could be seen from miles around.

Siesta and Saito had fared far worse than his parents, having been the intended targets after all. The force of the blast had sent them flying back through the portal into Halkeginia, along with a table leg that had been snapped off, as well as several large shards of wood that had splintered from the surrounding furniture. They had narrowly missed collecting both Henrietta and Tabitha as they flew past them, before they hit the wall of the mansion. The table leg embedded itself just slightly to the right, above Saito's head, while a sharp shared scrapped his left cheek. Siesta hadn't had such a close call with the debris, though she had bounced along the ground at least twice before she made contact with the wall. Some of the guards ran over to help them up, while the others went over to make sure that the Queens were safe. Henrietta just sighed. "Louise really needs to learn to control her temper" She thought to herself as she walked over to where Saito and Siesta had slumped to make sure that they were fine. Tabitha watched them for a few moments, and then she turned her attention back to the portal.

Back in Saito's house, Louise was struggling to calm down as the smoke began to life from the room slightly. "Dammit Saito, you'd promised not to do anything like that after we got married!" Her face was still full of rage, when it finally dawned on her just where she was when she cast that spell. Nervously, she glanced around to where Saito's parents had been. She could just see them both buried under part of the ceiling that had come down in the blast. Panic filled her eyes as she made her way through the rubble over to where they were lying. There didn't have any obvious wounds from what she could see, but had been knocked out by the force of the blast, and the ceiling collapsing above them.

In the distance, she could hear strange, loud wailing noises that were quickly getting closer. She could hear that people were also starting to gather in the street outside, though thankfully for Louise, the smoke was too thick for people to see through. As she lifted the piece of ceiling of her in-laws, she noticed someone appear out the corner of her eye. Spinning round, she readied her wand through instinct, and found herself pointing it directly at Tabitha.

"Need help?" she asked, glancing around at the damage Louise had caused.

Louise nodded; her face bright red with embarrassment about what she'd done, and she knew this wasn't the time or place to let her pride get in the way. "We need to get them out of here, quickly, before anyone comes in."

Tabitha waved her staff. Saito's parents levitated gently off the ground, and she moved them towards the portal. Several of the guards were waiting on the other side to pick them up. "Take them inside the mansion" she ordered, as they glided through into Halkeginia. The soldiers nodded, while Louise and Tabitha both jumped through the portal. Louise spun around and sealed it behind her.

"Saito's going to go nuts when he sees the damage…" she muttered to herself as she turned around, and watched the guards carrying Saito's parents inside the mansion. She then noticed the cut on Saito's cheek as she ran over to him, Henrietta, and Siesta. "Are you all alright?" she asked.

Siesta was dusting herself off. "Somehow" she replied. "Though it looks like those people got caught up in the blast… tell me, were they…?" Siesta began, but stopped when she noticed Louise trying not to cry, which told her all she needed to know. Henrietta put her arms around her best and longest friend.

"I'm sure they'll be fine, and I know you didn't mean to do that." She said.

Saito put his hand on his wife's shoulder. "You've really got to stop jumping to conclusions… though I guess your nerves might have put you more on edge slightly today, so don't worry about it." He added. "Though… what state was the house left in?" he asked nervously.

"A very bad one" Tabitha added as she joined the group, with Slyphid hiding her head behind her master, clearly realising that she'd accidently set off the whole chain of events up to that point.

Saito groaned. "The insurance company is never going to believe this…" he thought to himself. "Anyway, for now, let's head inside and make sure they are completely fine… And after what just happened, I know I need a strong drink."

**Elsewhere in Halkgenia…**

Cattelya was sitting outside in the sun with a book, and was stroking a kitten on her lap. Many other animals were sleeping around her. She closed the book and looked up at the sky. "I wonder how Louise and Saito are coping with married life…" she wondered, only to have her train of thought broken by the sound of footsteps coming from the house.

"Still thinking about the wedding?" Eleanor asked as she sat down next to her sister with a glass of wine in her hand.

Cattelya smiled. "Yes, I was just thinking how grown up Louise looked in the dress she wore that day."

Eleanor groaned as she looked out over the land and watched the servants go about their daily business "I tell you, that marriage was a mistake… why mother and father gave into them is beyond me… a familiar marrying a noble, who also happens to be his master… it's just so…"

"Romantic" Cattelya said, interrupting her sister mid conversation, and had a love-dovey look on her face as she thought about it. "Besides, Saito is technically a noble now, since Her Majesty gave him that land as a reward for everything he'd done for the Kingdom." Eleanor just groaned again, and took a sip of wine. She hated to admit it, but her sister was right about Saito becoming a noble. She still didn't like him, nor his attitude towards the way things had always been between Nobles and the common people. "I think you're just worried about her, sister" Cattelya said as she watched the kitten jump off her lap, making her sister catch her breath and start chocking at the statement. "Oh… was I right?" she added with a giggle.

"Of course I am, how can you not be!" she yelled, her frustration with her sisters laid back attitude. She was about to start listing the reasons why she didn't trust Saito, despite all he'd done, when their mother interrupted.

"Are you questioning our decision?" Karin asked Eleanor, who quickly paled. Karin was probably the only woman who could put fear into Eleanor. She had once been known as Karin of the Heavy Wind. A Square class mage who once commanded the Manticore Corps, an elite group of soldiers within the Tristanian army. Indeed, Many of Karin's quests had become popular novels enjoyed by the nobility, and many tales were still frequently told in the various taverns around the land, though this had reduced somewhat, due to more recent events in the world. Even when she hung up her armour, she still kept up the high standards of discipline she demanded from her troops to her daughters

Karin sat down, and kept a hard stare on Eleanor. "I don't blame you for having doubts; I'd be lying if I said I didn't have any still myself. But you saw how those two were when they came to us… They were getting married regardless of what we felt." Eleanor hated being reminded of that fact. It was bad enough that Louise and Saito had openly stated that they were getting married regardless of what her family said or felt, but the fact that a date and many of the guests had already been decided, including two members of royalty, made it all the more unbearable for them. Agreeing outright went against their beliefs, while continuing to deny them the marriage was only going to generate bad rumours about the family amongst the other nobles. In the end, they had to back down and support the marriage.

"Still… I suppose Louise could've done a lot worse than Saito for a husband" Karin thought to herself. She remembered how Saito had stood against her when they were summoned to La Vallière castle, after they had snuck across the border into Gallia, facing down her Cutter Tornado, one of her most powerful spells, and how even Louise who had never gone against her wishes or orders, had gained strength from that, and showed her mother her Void magic, dispelling the tornado like it was nothing. Karin hated to admit it, but she respected Saito for giving Louise that confidence to go up against her…

Karin glanced at her two daughters "Well… I guess we can always make sure everything's going smoothly…" she said aloud, and beckoned one of the servants over with a sheet of paper, and began writing. "I'll let her know we plan to visit soon, and see how things are…" Eleanor was slightly surprised, while Cattelya smiled deeply as she returned to her book. Although she was still of weak health, she wasn't going to miss this chance to see Louise, nor her brother in law.

**Back with Saito and co.**

Saito's parents were laid out in one of the spare bedrooms. Henrietta had checked them over with her healing magic, and found no injuries besides a few bruises from the explosion. Agnes, who had arrived a few hours ago from the town after picking up some supplies, was sitting in the room keeping guard over them. Normally, she'd have handed this role onto one of the soldiers under her command while she kept guard over Henrietta as usual. However, here were the parents who had given birth to the man who had probably saved Tristan more times than anyone in its history, so she felt that it was the least she could do to say thanks… and she was more than a little curious about the world in which they had come from.

Everyone else was sitting inside the lounge catching up since they'd all last seen each other. Slyphid, under orders from Tabitha, had taken on her human form as Illococoo, partly so she could be with her friends, and partly so she didn't scare Saito's parents when they came around... Everyone had agreed that they'd probably had enough surprises for one day. Louise had been feeling down for a while after things had settled down. She was afraid of just what her in-laws would think of her now, having just destroyed their home, knocking them out with her explosion spell because she couldn't control her temper, and had now pulled them into Halkgenia – a world they had only learnt about minutes before she flipped. Saito and everyone had done their best to cheer her up, and it seemed to have worked mostly, but she was still far from being fine. While everyone was deep in conversation, she made to leave the room.

"Is everything alright?" Saito called over to her as she went to open the door.

Louise didn't turn around. "I'm fine; I just need some fresh air." She answered opening the door and shutting it behind her, not even turning to face her friends or husband once. She walked back outside into the mansion grounds, and sat down under a tree, where she began to cry. "I'm such an idiot!" she felt like screaming. Her mind was filled the fear that she'd just ruined the chance to get along with her in-laws, and that Saito was probably furious with her deep down.

A hand on her shoulder snapped her back to reality, and she saw Saito sitting next to her, holding out a handkerchief. "Dry your eyes." He said calmly.

Louise took the handkerchief. "I bet they hate me… or at least they will when the see the mess I caused" she muttered, her voice close to breaking.

Saito sighed. "I doubt it, my parents were never ones to hold a grudge. Where do you think I got my laid-back attitude from?" he grinned, making Louise chuckle a little.

"Still… 3 weeks without being on the receiving end of your Explosion spell… I think that's a new record for me." He added with a laugh

"It would've been longer if you hadn't gotten yourself into such a position" Louise quipped back. Saito sighed. Louise had him on that one, but he gave her a gentle flick on the head.

"Look, how many times do I need to say this Louise? In situations like that, take a few moments before re-acting. I married you, not Siesta, not Tabitha, not Tiffa, not Henrietta, but you. I wouldn't ever do anything that would upset you, so please just have some faith in me." Saito knew that if he did every truly get on Louise's bad side, he'd probably end up being 6 foot under within seconds.

Louise nodded, drying her eyes a bit more. "I know… I just… I just…" She was interrupted as Saito planted a kiss on her lips. "You're just being you" he said finishing her sentence for her as he pulled his head back.

Inside, Henrietta, Tabitha and Siesta were watching from a window. All three had expressed their feelings for Saito in their own way, but he had turned them all down and chosen Louise. A decision that respected, no matter how hard it was to accept, they had to respect. All three did still love him, and probably would for many years to come.

A knock on the door drew their attention away from the couple. "Enter" Henrietta called out. The door opened, revealing Agnes. "Saito's parents have just woken up. They said they'd come down once they got their bearings." Henrietta nodded. "Very well Agnes, please stay outside their room until they're ready. When they are, please escort them here. I imagine they've got a lot of questions… and I personally would very much like to meet them now that they're here." Agnes saluted, and returned back up stairs. "I better go inform Saito that they've woken up." Siesta said, heading off to go get her master and mistress and inform them of the good news.

Illococoo, who had still been sitting down until this point, ran over to her master's side. "Master, should I go back to my normal form?"

Tabitha shook her head. "No", as always, devoid of emotion in her response, which made Henrietta chuckle. "Staying as you are now might be easier for them Illococoo" Henrietta said calmly, taking a seat once again. "After everything that's happened, seeing a blue dragon up close again might be a bit much for them."

Illococoo groaned slightly, but agreed with Henrietta's view. She'd already caused enough trouble, so staying as a human for a while was probably the safest course of action.

Tabitha turned and sat back down, and Illococoo sat next to her. They could all sense that things were about to become interesting… and possibly slightly difficult to explain.

* * *

**Author's note:**

I based the bit about Louise's mother Karin from the Light Novel version of The Familiar of Zero (Volume 11, chapter 3 – Karin of the Heavy Wind.) This wasn't included in the anime, but I felt it was an important scene that needed including, and referencing.

Also, thank god for Google and Wikipedia – trying to remember how to spell Illococoo was a nightmare!

Chapter 4 is currently giving me a few issues (namely a case of writers block stopping me from making it flow), so it might be a little while before I can it uploaded.


	4. Welcome to the World

**The Familiar of Zero – Trouble In Paradise**

**Chapter 4 – Welcome to the World**

Saito and Louise rushed upstairs to where his parents had been left to rest in the Mansion following Louise's Explosion spell. Siesta had gone back into the kitchen to prepare some more drinks, while Henrietta, Tabitha and Illococoo were sitting patiently in the lounge, making idle chit-chat about various things. They had all agreed to call Illococoo Tabitha's sister, at least until Saito's parents were ready to understand that she was in fact a dragon capable to taking on human form. As they reached the top of the stairs, they saw Agnes looking out the window, keeping an eye on the soldiers under her command. They'd calmed down since the incident with the portal, and had resumed their normal guard duties around the mansion, and Royal Carriages. Agnes turned to face them, and looked to calm any worries they might have had.

"Your parents are fine, aside from the few bruises. More than anything, they are confused as to just where they are, but I guess that's to be expected." Agnes paused for a moment, and then added. "I haven't told them anything yet, only that you would explain things to them. I figured it would be slightly easier on them to hear it from their son, rather than a complete stranger."

"Thank you very much Agnes, I appreciate it" Saito said gladly, shaking Agnes' hand. "Why don't you go and join the others in the lounge, we'll escort my parents down as soon as they're ready."

"I will, I'll see you guys as soon as you're ready." And with that, Agnes walked downstairs and headed to join the other guests. At least this way she could still perform her duties as a Royal Bodyguard, and could catch up with Siesta as well as talk to the parents of one of Tristan's biggest heroes.

Saito took a deep breath to calm his nerves, before knocking on the door. "It's open" came a nervous reply from Mrs Hiraga. Saito slowly opened the door, and led Louise inside. "How are you both feeling?" he asked as they entered the room. They were clearly shaken by the events of a few hours ago. "Where are we Saito?" Mr Hiraga asked. "That woman in the armour said…" Mr Hiraga paused mid-sentence upon seeing Louise. An awkward silence filled the room, to the point where they could hear the rustling of the leaves on the trees outside clearer than anyone normally would. Louise lowered her head. "I'm sorry… I lost my temper and over-reacted... I didn't mean to use that spell, and realised too late… I'm just so relieved you're both alright." She whimpered, struggling to hold back the tears. Saito put his hand on Louise's shoulder to comfort her. Mrs Hiraga slowly walked over to them, before putting her arms around both Saito and Louise and hugging them both tightly, who in turn returned the hug as best they could.

"We've all done foolish things Louise… and we all regret them afterwards. No-one was hurt, so I'm willing to forgive and forget." She said kindly. Saito glanced over at his father, who nodded in agreement with his wife's statement. Louise had also noticed this, and began to cry. Not tears of sadness, or regret, but tears of relief. She was thankful that Saito's parents were relaxed about things as he had said they were… though she did fear that that might change when they saw and heard about the state of the house. After a few moments, Louise regained her composer. Mrs Hiraga sat down on the end of the bed, while Louise placed her arm around Saito.

"So then son… where are we?" his father asked, straight to the point as usual. Saito gulped nervously, praying they would take the news well. "You're currently in our home in Halkgenia" he answered. A pause followed as Mr Hiraga closed his eyes, before opening them and turning to face his wife. "I told you…" Mrs Hiraga nodded. "Well, it was the only explanation for that woman being dressed in armour, and those people outside… Still, you told us that the only people living here was yourselves and a maid… what was her name again?" "Siesta…" Louise answered, taking a deep breath to stop her temper from rising as she remembered about the incident earlier. "She was the one who fell through the portal on top of Saito."

Both Mr and Mrs Hiraga nodded, remembering the scene… it had looked like something straight out of a bad anime or manga, with the magical girl, the woman in a maid costume, and the poor guy who always seems to get himself into the worst situations through no fault of his own. Mrs Hiraga decided to alter the subject a bit. "Not that we wouldn't have asked to come and visit, or to sound ungrateful, but why did you bring us here?" Louise, nervously, went on to explain what had happened after the Explosion spell. "Well…. After I cast the spell, the force of it… pretty much destroyed your house... There were these strange wailing sounds in the distance, and a crowd had started to gather outside. I panicked and with the help of a friend, we carried you through into Halkgenia, and sealed the portal behind us." Again, an awkward pause followed as Saito's parents digested the news that they're home had been largely destroyed by a girl they had only just met, who also had summoned their only son to be her familiar and was now his wife.

"So…" Mr Hiraga began "What you're saying is… a girl with the ability to cast magic, over-reacted because of a scene with a maid who fell through a portal said mage had cast, and went onto cast a spell that had enough power to destroy our home?" he asked. Louise nodded, gripping onto Saito tighter, she was afraid of where this was going. Out of nowhere, a deep laugh filled the room, causing both Louise and Saito to jump slightly. Mr Hiraga was almost killing himself. "Well, I doubt the insurance company will have heard THAT one before!" he roared with laughter. Mrs Hiraga started to chuckle as well, as did Saito, who had thought the exact same thing earlier when Tabitha had told him about the damage. Louise however, was left feeling confused. "What the hell was an 'insurance company?'" she wondered. She'd forgotten just how many confusing things in Saito's world there really were. She decided that this was something else she would have to ask Saito about later.

As Mr Hiraga calmed down, he looked out the window. "Still son, I am impressed. I know you said you owned some land, but you've done well for yourself in these past two years." Saito grinned. "Better than you probably think, I'm technically now a noble. This property, and the town that is being built about half an hour away by horse down the road, is technically on land that I now own." Mrs Hiraga's jaw almost hit the floor, and his father span around quicker than Saito or Louise had ever seen anyone do so. "How the hell did you manage all this in two years!" the both yelled at the same time. Louise spoke up. "Services to the crown… even I still struggle to believe it, and I've been with him for almost everything he's done." She sighed, shaking her head. Indeed, nowhere in the history of any country in Halkgenia had a man risen so far, or done as much in service to a country… even one he technically wasn't born in"

Mr Hiraga looked back outside, he just had to ask. "Tell me… those soldiers and those carriages. Are they yours as well?" Saito shook his head. "No, they actually in the service of to two of our good friends, Queen Henrietta of Tristan, and Queen Tabitha of Gallia." Mrs Hiraga looked confused. "If… they are technically in the service of two Queens, why are they here?" Louise shook her head slightly, still trying to get over the timing of her friends surprise visit. "They're currently sitting downstairs in the lounge… they came over to surprise us with a visit and catch up. We hadn't actually seen them since our wedding day. They came a little while after Saito and myself left to visit you."

Both Mr and Mrs Hiraga looked stunned. "So… you're saying we've got two Queens sitting in the lounge of the house we're in?" Mr Hiraga asked. Saito nodded and grinned. "Yep, and it gets better. They've both asked you to join us downstairs for a chat. They really wanted to meet you while they were here." Saito could see his parents face fill with shock, which then turned into a sense of pride. It was hardly surprising, see as it's not every day you've got two rulers asking to meet with you.

Mrs Hiraga gulped as she stood up; she took her husband's arm in hand. "Well… I guess we'd better not keep Royalty waiting." Saito and Louise nodded. "Then, if you'd like to follow us. Don't worry about being nervous, they might be members of Royalty, but they are also very kind people. Tabitha helped me carry you through the portal into Halkgenia after you were knocked out."

**Meanwhile….**

The Ostlant was returning from a trip into the Elven territories. It was one of a handful of human ships that the Elven council had permitted to travel into and out of its territory, though all were still subject to various stop and searches before, during, and after entering, on the grounds of security. The same, however, had been applied to the few Elven ships that were granted permission to cross into human controlled lands. It was a necessary agreement between rulers in the hopes of fostering better relations between the two species. After over 6,000 years of distrust, both sides had agreed to begin work on peace between each other.

Professor Colbert had chosen to remain as the ship's captain, and had been given permission by Old Osmond, Queen Henrietta, and the Elven Council to take several students with him on various trips designed to improve relations between the two races. Though these were still in their early phases, the results so far had been promising. On this event, however, it was being accompanied by two Elven ships, due to the V.I.P's that had come aboard for the return trip back into Tristan.

Several figures stood on the deck, looking out onto the human lands before them.

"Humans are just so fascinating… and their lands sure are beautiful from up here!" one said, struggling to contain her excitement.

"They're alright, I guess" replied person standing next to her, who promptly received a hit to his stomach.

"Be a little more excited, or we're getting a divorce!" the first argued, annoyed by her partner's lack of enthusiasm.

A third figure just sighed. "It's been a while since we last saw Saito and Louise." She thought to herself.

Professor Colbert joined them on deck, as someone else took the wheel. "I have to admit, I don't think I could ever get tired of seeing such scenery." He said, his balding head reflecting the sunlight from above him. "I agree Darling, it's just so romantic!" came another voice, as Professor Colbert found his arm being held tightly by Kirche, who still had not given up trying to woo him.

The third robbed figure turned to face the Professor and Kirche. "Umm… Professor, can I make a small request?" The Professor nodded, and found the hooded figure whispering in his ear, much to Kirche's obvious jealously. When she finished, he thought about what she had asked for a moment, and then nodded. "Sounds like a good plan to me, however, I need to clear it with our escorts first, last thing we want is a misunderstanding."

The fourth and final figure turned around. "They'll agree, I'll send the word that we'll be going there, and that they won't need to accompany us as it's a social visit." He said simply, apparently having guessed what his friend had asked. "Still, is this what you want Tiffa?" he asked.

Tiffa nodded, removing her hood, and revealing her pointy ears and blonde hair, which immediately began to flow in the breeze as the ship flew through the sky. "Yes, I want to see Saito and Louise…"

**Back with Saito and co. **

Agnes was leaning against the wall, while Siesta was bringing in a tray with more drinks on it. Tabitha and Henrietta were still chatting amongst themselves, while Illococoo was getting restless. "What's taking them so long…" she grumbled, pouting. Agnes grinned, and petted Illococoo on the head. "Give them some time; after all, they have just woken up in a world they knew almost nothing about. Besides, I doubt they'll be that much longer."

A knock on the lounge door quickly drew everyone's attention. Siesta walked over, and opened it, bowing slightly. Saito and Louise entered first, followed nervously by his parents. Henrietta and Tabitha rose, as did Illococoo, and Agnes stood up straight. Saito took a deep breath and smiled. "Mom, dad, allow me to introduce you to everyone." He raised his hand to gesture "Firstly, we have Queen Henrietta of Gallia, and Queen Tabitha of Gallia." Both of Saito's parents went to bow, but were stopped by Henrietta. "Please, do not. This is not a formal meeting, and even if it were, I feel I would have to be the one who was bowing to you. Your son, Saito, has become one of our country's biggest heroes and a very good friend to us." Tabitha nodded in agreement. "Yes, Saito has helped more than we could ever repay him." This made Saito blush slightly, though he did feel that they'd slightly exaggerated what he'd done by calling him one of their countries biggest heroes.

"Your words mean a lot Your Highnesses, thank you." Mrs Hiraga replied.

"Please, you can just our first names. For meetings that are just between friends or family, we prefer it." Henrietta asked, as Tabitha nodded.

"Next, we have Tabitha's Sister, Illococoo, and the Captain of Queen Henrietta's personal guard, Captain Agnes." Saito said, gesturing towards her. "Pleased to meet you!" Illococoo said. "It is an honour to meet you both." Added Agnes. "It's a pleasure to meet you both" Mr Hiraga replied, and turned to Agnes. "And I must thank you captain for watching over us while we recovered from that minor concussion." Agnes bowed her head. "Anything for the parents of a friend". Louise was surprised by what Agnes had said, that was the first time she'd ever heard Agnes refer to Saito as a friend, she usually just called him a comrade.

"And last, but by no means least, is Siesta, our maid and very good friend." Saito finished as bowed her head. "It's very nice to meet you both." She said warmly. "And you, my dear." Replied Mrs Hiraga.

Louise beckoned them over to some seats, and everyone sat down, while Siesta handed a cup of Tea to everyone, and sat down next to Agnes. Louise noticed that Mrs Hiraga had a tear in her eye. "Is everything alright?" Louise asked. Mrs Hiraga nodded. "Yes, it's fine. I'm just finding it hard to believe I'm sitting here about to drink Tea with royalty, on the same day my son re-appears and introduces us to his wife…" she replied with a chuckle as she wiped her eye.

Henrietta chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure Tabitha and I can relate to that. I doubt either of us expected to meet you so soon." Tabitha nodded. "Saito said he'd love to introduce you to us one day." She added.

Saito laughed. "I must admit, I didn't expect things to move this quickly, but I'm glad they did."

Louise nodded in agreement. "Even I feared the worst… Saito had always told me good things about you, but my nerves still got the better of me…" she said with slight embarrassment. "As did your temper…" everyone else thought at the same time.

The group chatted for several hours, and were laughing and joking until dusk fell… most of the joking was at Saito and Louise's expense, but they didn't really care. As the sun set, Agnes saw the guards outside waving her over from the window. "Excuse me one moment" She said, bowing and leaving the room. Agnes hurried outside. "What's the problem?" she asked. The soldier saluted. "Mam, this person here has said the Ornières is currently under attack by a small mercenary band. They are requesting we send assistance to aid them in the defence."

Agnes mentally cursed. "Of all the times, why now!" she thought. "Very well soldier, dispatch around 80% of the troops to go and aid the town. Everyone else will remain with me to keep the Queens safe." The soldier saluted and gathered the troops that would go to Ornières. Agnes hurried back inside to inform Henrietta about what was happening. The wars may have been over… but the battles born from it, we're far from settled.


	5. The Slavers of Ornières

**The Familiar of Zero – Trouble In Paradise**

**Chapter 5 – The Slavers of ****Ornières**

Agnes rushed back into the house with a handful of the Royal Guard. She quickly opened the door to where everyone was sitting while her troops took up defensive positions both inside, and outside the mansion. Everyone jumped at the site of the troops suddenly running through the house. "Forgive me everyone, but we've got an emergency on our hands." Agnes said plainly, as she peered out of the window. She could see the dusk sky redden with the flames from Ornières. The Attack was well under-way. "We've just been informed that Ornières is under attack by a group of bandits." A stunned gasp filled the room. "Your majesty, I have deployed most of the guard to re-enforce the town." Henrietta's face became serious. "Good move Agnes…" Saito went to stand up, only for his father to press down on his shoulder. "You're not thinking of going… are you?" He asked, worry clearly etched onto his face, and that of his wife.

Saito sighed "Dad, I have to. As the Noble who looks after the people in Ornières, it's my job to ensure that they're kept safe. You know I'm not the type of person who runs and hides at the first sign of trouble." Mrs Hiraga paled. She hated the thought of her son running off to battle, even though he'd apparently done so many times since he came here, had become a big hero more than one. "Surely you can leave it to the Royal Guards… surely they'll be strong enough to handle this." She asked. Saito shook his head. "When I became lord of this land, I made a pledge that I'd never abandon the people here no matter what. I'm not going back on that promise." He said simply, determination was written in his eyes. Louise nodded as she removed Mr Hiraga's hand from Saito's shoulder. "This is something he and I have to do."

Saito looked away sheepishly. "Actually… I was going to ask you to remain here." He could sense Louise getting annoyed by that. "What! If you're going to fight, then I am as well. The people are as much responsibility as they are yours Saito!" Louise yelled, causing everyone to wince slightly. Saito took a deep breath, and began to explain his reasoning. "Look, I know you can handle yourself in a fight… we've been in more than our fair share for the past two years. But right now, I'd like you to remain here. I'd be surprised if the people don't try and flee to here looking for safety, and even more so if the bandits don't follow them. If you stay behind, you can help them with your magic as they take cover inside the mansion until we can push the attack back, or they retreat... Not only that, but I think it'd help my parents to know that you're here to keep them safe in case things really do get hot here"

"Be that as it may Saito, shouldn't the Queens be evacuated? Surely the top priority is for them to be kept safe." Mr Hiraga asked which was answered by Henrietta shaking her head slightly, causing him and Mrs Hiraga some confusion. "If we were normal Queens, I'd imagine that would be the case, however, both of us value the lives of our people over that of our own. If we need to escape, we'll do so at the last possible minute. Besides, I'm probably the only mage here that knows any healing spells, so I intend to stay and help out as best I can." Tabitha nodded. "We're both strong mages, and we're not afraid to fight just because we're royalty."

Saito nodded. He'd fought against both Henrietta and Tabitha separately, so he could vouch for their strength in battle. Henrietta had come close to killing him when she was under the influence of the Fake Wales. If push came to shove and they did have to fight, he knew that they would be more than a match for most enemies.

"Besides" Tabitha continued "if he wants to get to Ornières quickly, he'll need my help." Saito nodded again. Flying on Slyphid would be the quickest way to get to the town in order to join the defence, but that in itself presented another problem… namely that Slyphid was still in her human form, and if she suddenly transformed into a dragon, it was going to create a lot of questions from his parents that he'd probably have to answer later, but compared to an army that was laying siege to Ornières, it was probably going to be a lot simpler to deal with… and less bloody. Illococoo grinned, clearing having had the same train of thought her master had had. "I'll go get ready then, head outside when you're set." And with that, she ran out of the room and outside the mansion, where she transformed into her dragon form. She peeked her head through the windows, and gave a wink to Saito's parents, whose jaws dropped open. "You mean… she was that dragon all along?" Mr Hiraga asked, barely able to take in just what he'd seen. Slyphid nodded her head, and purred. "We'll explain everything later" Saito said as he walked over to a suit of armour in the hallway and removed its sword from its side. Instantly, the ruins on his hand began to glow their trademark blue, and he immediately felt the sword lighten in his hands, and his body able to move faster. Tabitha walked past him. "I'll help from the air." Saito nodded, and prepared to leave, only to be stopped by Louise who had grabbed hold of his hand. "Are you planning on trying to talk me out of going again?" Saito asked jokingly, knowing that this wasn't the case. Louise pulled him close and planted a strong kiss on his lips, and held it for a few seconds. As she let him go, she stepped back a few steps, with Saito's parent's right behind her, who still looked unhappy about their only son running off to fight. "For luck… And promise me you won't do anything reckless Saito." Saito grinned and waved his hand. "Hey, this is me we're talking about." With that, he hurried outside and jumped on Slyphid's back, just behind Tabitha. "Let's go" She muttered, as Slyphid flapped her wings and took off into the sky, heading straight towards the burning town. As Louise and Saito's parents returned into the lounge, they saw that Henrietta, Agnes, several soldiers and Siesta were clearing things out of the way, leaving the centre of the room wide open. "We may need the space to treat the wounded." Agnes answered, before Louise could even ask.

Saito's parents nodded in agreement. Though they couldn't fight themselves, they both knew that they'd probably need as many people as possible to help treat the wounded. "Siesta, do we have anything that can be used to treat injuries? We'd best get ready for the worst." Mr Hiraga asked. Siesta paused and thought about it for a second. "Yes, I believe we have some things up-stairs that could be used, if only to help stop any bleeding." Mr Hiraga nodded. "Can you show me where, we'll go get them?" Siesta nodded, and ran with Saito's parents upstairs. "I can see where Saito gets it from… they're calm under pressure just like him." Agnes said. Louise sweat dropped. "Unless they happen to see a blue dragon suddenly stick its head through a portal I just opened." She replied, causing Agnes and Henrietta to laugh. "Louise, I think that'd scare most people though, don't you?" Louise agreed, and glanced out of a window. She could see the fires burning over the tops of the trees. "Founder… please keep him and the people safe." She prayed in her heart, before rushing to help do what she could to prepare.

As Slyphid raced towards Ornières, they caught up with the Guards sent earlier by Agnes, who were charging in on horseback. They were minutes away from reaching the town, and by now all could hear the screams of panic and the cracking of burning timber. Slyphid flew lower and slowed down. Tabitha called out to the soldier leading the relief force. "Solider!" The cavalry commander looked over, concern etched on his face. "Your majesty, it's not safe here. Leave this to us." Tabitha shook her head. "I'll be fine, get the townspeople to head towards Ornières Manor. The wounded will be treated there." The commander nodded, and issued the command to his men. Slyphid pulled up high into the sky so they could get an idea of the situation. Most of the new buildings that were being constructed were engulfed in flames. Saito could see that some people were being dragged and loaded into a group of three carriages on the outskirts of the city, while others had managed to hide in the thick forest nearby. "Slavers…" Tabitha muttered. It was clear these people were not simple bandits. "Tabitha, take me down just in-front of them, and then see what you can do about those fires." Saito ordered. Slyphid flew lower, but still had remained unseen by the Slavers, who it seemed were too busy trying to round up the townspeople.

As Slyphid neared the ground, Saito jumped off her back, and snuck up close to the horses. Slyphid rose quickly, and headed back over to the town. Saito could hear the muskets and pistols firing in the distance. "Looks like the guard arrived… that should draw their attention for a few minutes at least." He then used his sword to cut through the reins that bound the horses on the first carriage. Saito could see they had been badly treated, with many carrying deep scars from heavy whipping. Saito then snuck towards the second carriage and did the same. He didn't want the horses to run yet… the Slavers would probably see them going and realise something was up. As he closed in on the third carriage, he came face to face with a slaver. "Shit" Saito thought, and barely had time to react as his opponent swung at him. Parrying the initial swing, he rolled past his enemy, before piercing him through the back. The slaver dropped down dead, but his comrades had heard the clashing of steel. A group of them rushed at Saito, while two readied their arrows. "Well… so much for being careful" he thought, rushing to meet them in.

Tabitha meanwhile, had her work cut out. She'd used her water magic to stop the flames spreading, but hadn't been able to put the fires out after she'd been seen by a couple of archers. Slyphid was able to move quickly in order to avoid them, but it made it hard for Tabitha to cast her spells at her enemies. Fortunately, a shot by a member of the Guard had drawn the archer's attention off her for a split second, and that was all she needed. Pointing her staff down at the enemy, she fired a barrage of icicles down at her enemies. The Slavers never had a chance as the barrage ripped them to shreds, and she continued to do what she could from up in the air.

The Guards were pushing through the town at a steady progress. Many of the civilians had been given cover as they ran towards Ornières Mansion. "Keep pushing them! Give them no quarter, but keep the civilians safe!" The commander yelled, as the Slavers began to get more and more desperate, with some turning around and trying to flee. Tabitha and Slyphid flew down and hit the enemy line from behind, with Slyphid grabbing enemies in her talons and dropping them from a great height.

Saito, meanwhile, was still fighting. He'd taken several of the Slavers down, but still had a few left. "You're gonna bleed you brat!" Yelled one, as he charged in. Saito parried his sword, and then had to duck as another swung his axe at him. Spinning around, he managed to grab hold of one of the slavers arms, and pull him towards him while Saito slipped behind him. Kicking the guy in the back, he tumbled forward and landed on his comrade's sword with a sickening squelch. "Dammit, I could do with some backup here!" He thought to himself, as he parried several more attacks. He hadn't done any training, let alone used a blade since the battle with the Ancient Dragon, and even with his powers as a familiar it was clear to see. "Note to self… hiring a sparring partner after this is done"

As Saito jumped back, avoiding the arrows fired by the archers, he lost his footing, and was knocked back with a punch to the face as he was distracted. His sword flew out of his hands and he hit the floor, with his head catching against a rock on the way down. A Slaver jumped at him, Saito barely managed to stagger out of the way of the swing, and managed to pick up one of the Slavers' swords from a defeated enemy. "I'm getting fed up with this." He thought to himself, as felt the warmth of his blood trickle down from the gash on his head, and into his left eye.

"Saito, DUCK!" came a shout from behind, and Saito hit the floor as fast as he could. A fireball came out of nowhere and hit the slavers, roasting them all in an instant. As Saito got up and looked around, a smile appeared on his face. The Ostlant was here, and he could see Tiffania, who was waving frantically at him, Professor Colbert and Kirche. He didn't know why they'd arrived, and right now, he didn't care. He was just glad to see some friendly faces. Hopefully, this battle would end quickly, and he could catch up with his friends… Boy, would Louise be surprised that they had more guests.

Back at Ornières Mansion, the civilians were arriving quickly. Everyone was doing their best to treat the wounded, which were mainly suffering from minor burns from the fires that were engulfing the town, though some did have some deep sword wounds, and find places for others to take shelter. Henrietta's healing magic was being used on the most seriously injured first, while everyone else was doing whatever they could to help the others get comfortable, or try and stop the bleeding. Those who weren't injured were doing what-ever they could to help out however they could. Everyone was desperate for this fight to be over quickly. The country had had more than enough fighting in recent years.

As the Ostlant landed, Saito was just finishing freeing the captured townspeople. Tabitha had successfully put out the fires and was hovering around on Slyphid, keeping an eye out for any Slavers that might come to take their carriages, while the Royal Guard had managed to route or capture most of the Slavers. There were a few pockets of resistance, but the battle was pretty much won. As Colbert, Tiffania and Kirche left the Ostlant, Saito was just helping an elderly man out of the back of a carriage. "By the Founder, Thank you!" He wept. "I didn't think anyone would save us." Saito smiled gently, trying to hide the mild pain he was in following the blow he took to the side of the head when he was punched "Remember what I said when I became the Lord of this land? I'll do whatever I can to protect you, all of you, and I'll always stay true to that." A cheer erupted from the crowd. Unlike most Nobles, Saito's down to earth, hands-on attitude with them had made him incredibly popular with them. Even more so because he was a man who'd risen up from nowhere and performed more great deeds in just two years than most nobles would dream of being known for in a lifetime

Tabitha and Slyphid landed close by, having seen the Royal Guards finish fighting. "Saito, are you alright?" Professor Colbert asked as he walked over to him and the people. "Been better" Saito replied. "Though I think I'll be in a worse condition when Louise sees the state of me… so much for being careful" he laughed. Kirche looked at smouldering ruins of the burnt out buildings. "Who were those attackers?" She asked, holding onto Professor Colbert's arm tightly. Tabitha joined the group. "Slavers" she said simply. Kirche let go of Professor Colbert and ran over and hugged Tabitha tightly. "It's been to long Tabitha!" she squealed as she hugged her small friend tightly. Tabitha merely nodded and replied "It has". Tiffania looked nervously at the damage. So much of the work that had been started had been destroyed; she wondered just where people would even think to begin in rebuilding… indeed, if they would even consider rebuilding. "I know it looks bad dearie… but we'll recover." Tiffania's attention was drawn to a small elderly lady who had suddenly appeared next to her. She had a bruise over her right eye from where she'd clearly been hit, and her ankles where clearly saw from where she'd been tightly chained up. "We're a lot stronger than people would expect… but I think it's down to our Lord mostly… he fills us with such hope and confidence for the future." Tiffania nodded in agreement. "Yes, he always does make the people around him feel better about themselves… It's one of his talents." Tiffania thought to herself.

In the distance, Saito could see the Royal Guards approaching; the man who'd led the relief force at the head. Several appeared to be injured, but it didn't look like they'd lost many of their fighters. Tabitha managed to free herself (somehow) from Kirche's grasp and walked over to the guards. "Status report" She demanded. The commander saluted "Your highness, the enemy are fleeing towards the South, Sadly, we failed to capture any of them, but we have dealt them a heavy blow. As far as we know, the intended target was the people of this town, they don't appear to have had any intention of targeting the Mansion." Tabitha nodded. "What's the status of your troops?" she asked. The commander waved someone else over to speak. "Currently, we have ten injured, four seriously, we know of three dead, and so far have at least another seven who are currently MIA."

Tabitha nodded then turned to. "Professor Colbert. Can we please use the Ostlant to transfer the wounded and remaining civilians to Ornières Mansion?" The Professor nodded. "Of course, I was going to suggest we do that." Professor Colbert looked at the soldiers. "Do you want a ride back? We've got more than enough room." He offered. "Thank you sir, but my men and I will remain here for a while. We're going to make sure the town is completely secure and search to see if we can find anyone who may be trapped or injured." The commander replied, and signalled for several of his men to help get the civilians and wounded onto the ship. Professor Colbert bowed his head, and began helping as well, as did Kirche. Tabatha re-mounted Slyphid, saying she was going to do another search from the air, and then head back herself. As she took off, Saito turned and looked at Tiffania, who was helping the Elderly lady she was speaking to earlier. "I have to admit, this wasn't how I expected us to meet up again…" Saito joked, helping another civilian. Tiffania nodded and smiled. "Well… Things never are straight forward; I've learnt that much from being with you and Louise back at the Academy."

Saito couldn't help but nod in agreement. "So tell me, what brings you guys all the way out here." Tiffania paused for a second. "I guess you could say I wanted to catch up with you and Louise… besides, I've only just been able to get back from the Elven Lands." Saito was momentarily surprised, but then he remembered. "Yes, I remembering hearing that you'd been made a representative between Humans and Elves. I imagine it's not an easy job." Tiffania sighed in agreement. "Let me put it this way: if I hadn't had such solid support from people on both sides, I might not have agreed to it."

As everyone was helped onto the ship, Saito noticed the three hooded figures that were treating the injured. He could just make out what one was saying. "Fine, Fine, I'm helping, see, I'm helping the humans. No need to threaten me with a divorce, alright? I mean we have only just got married!" Saito grinned, he knew who that was. "So, you've finally tied the knot huh, Arie?" he called out. The figures turned to face Saito, and lowered their hoods, revealing their pointy ears and blond hair. "He has for now Saito… though if he keeps his attitude up, I may have to leave him" Luctiana replied with a laugh. Vitartial sighed at his niece's attitude, was she ever going to stop teasing Arie… and more to the point, we he ever going to stop falling for it. "It's good to see you again Saito" he said, offering his hand. Saito shook it. "And you, I hope you've all been well." Saito asked "I seem to be having familiar faces turning up at every turn today" he thought to himself.

"Very… though trying to help Tiffania's peace efforts and relationship improvements between our kind and humans is very tiring" He admitted. This wasn't how he planned to spend his elder years, but then again, he never would've imagined he'd ever be talking with a human, or consider one a friend when he was younger. "Still, I am curious… what did you mean by seeing familiar faces turning up?" he asked. Saito was about to answer when he felt the ship take off "I'll never get used to that" he thought to himself as the ship slowly sailed for the Mansion. Professor Colbert and Kirche joined the group, having left the controls in the hands of a crew member, and Saito began to fill them in on the day's events. He hoped to have them clued up enough for when they arrived at the mansion. He just prayed that they had enough food and drink for all these guests…

* * *

**Authors Note:**

FINALLY DONE! *head slams on the desk*

Sorry for the delay guys, I've been stuck with a Migraine for the past few days, so I couldn't look at a PC to type this up. On the plus side, I have thought of a few more ideas for this story, and made notes ready to put them into this.

I am also pleased to announce that I've been able to draw up some plans for another ZoF fan-fic, currently, this is under the title of "Project Black" – mainly because I haven't sat down and thought about a proper title, merely the ideas for it - I'm toying with basing it after the events of this one, but at the moment, current plans are for it to be its own story with no ties to this one, and is based around seven years after the defeat of the Ancient Dragon, but that may change.

I hope to have a few more chapters up this week, and maybe bring this fan-fic to a close soon. As always guys, I appreciate the reviews and feedback. They're helping me improve my writing… I hope :P


	6. A New Problem

**The Familiar of Zero – Trouble In Paradise**

**Chapter 6 – A New Problem**

Tabitha was the first to return to Ornières Mansion on Slyphid. She'd done a sweep of the area, and found no trace of enemy forces in the area. The majority of the Royal Guard was still busy looking for survivors, and probably would be for some time to come, as they were having to tread very carefully through the burnt out buildings. A couple had collapsed already due to being weakened by the intense flames, but those had fortunately already been searched.

As Tabitha landed, she could see the people of the town all over the place, running backwards and forwards with whatever supplies they had managed to take with them as they fled from the battle. Instructing Slyphid to remain in dragon form for a while, she turned around to be met by Agnes. "Your Majesty, I'm so glad you've returned safely." It then dawned on her that Saito was not with her. "Where is Saito?" she asked. "He's coming with the Ostlant and the last of the civilians, as well as the wounded guard members" Agnes was more than a little surprised by what Tabitha had just said. "What's the Ostlant doing all the way out here?" Tabitha merely shrugged. "Came to visit Saito and Louise…" Agnes sighed. "It seems everyone decided today was the day to come and visit…" she thought allowed, then paused. "Is that professor with them?" she asked, clenching her fist as she thought about the man who had burnt her home to the ground so many years ago under the orders of Richmon. Tabitha merely nodded, seeing the rage in Agnes' eyes. Agnes mentally cursed. Although she'd forgiven Professor Colbert, who as she found out had been tricked into thinking that the town was full of a highly contagious and very deadly plague, and had tried to save as many people as he could when he found out the mistake, including Agnes, it was still hard to be around him.

Agnes took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She needed to move on; she knew that better than anyone. Richmon, the man behind all her pain, was dead, killed by her hand. "A Soldier called out from behind her "Captain, we need could do with an extra pair of hands in here." He called out. Agnes turned to the soldier and nodded, who quickly ran back inside to help where he could "What are your plans now, Your Majesty?" She asked. "I'll wait here for Saito and the others, and see if we can ready a place for them to land. I'll then help you inside when we've got the injured off the ship." Agnes nodded, gave a quick salute, and ran back inside the mansion, and back into the lounge. Inside, it had become a fully make-shift field hospital. Everyone looked tired and exhausted, but still kept working. Saito's parents, it turned out, had been on first-aid courses back on Earth, so at least knew how to treat some of the injuries they were being faced with, though they were very impressed with just how effective Henrietta's healing magic was. Wounds that might have meant certain death without surgery or antibiotics back on Earth were being healed without any complications.

Back on the Ostlant, the mansion was coming into view. Saito had finished explaining everything as best he could, though it hadn't been easy with Tiffania trying to bandage the wound on his head. She'd covered his mouth and nose several times while he was telling everyone his story, mainly because she was getting deeply into it herself and lost attention on what she was actually doing. Despite her being given such an important role by Human and Elven kind, she was still just as clumsy as ever. As Saito had expected, Professor Colbert was overjoyed upon hearing that his parents were now in Halkgenia. There were so many things he planned to ask them about Earth, and even more that he wanted to see for himself. Saito knew deep down that Professor Colbert probably wouldn't want to leave until he got to visit Earth… then again; he imagined that it might be the same for everyone, and even he was looking forward to maybe spending a few days back home once everything had been sorted out.

As Saito looked towards the mansion, he could see Tabitha and a large group of the townspeople waving them down to a cleared spot about a minute away from the mansion. Professor Colbert had seen that as well and was steadily taking the ship down. Several members of the Royal Guard had also left the mansion to help carry the injured inside for treatment. As the ship touched down, the plank was lowered quickly. "Okay, we need to get the wounded off first, followed by the women, children and elderly. If anyone can help others get down, please do so." Saito heard Kirche trying to organise the people. Saito went over and helped carry a wounded Guardsman. He had an arrow in his left arm, and it had gone right the way through the bone, and had also been hit in the leg. However, despite the seriousness of his injuries and loss of blood, he was still in a very chatty mood. "Man, my wife is going to kill me when she hears about this." Saito couldn't help but laugh. "At least you've got time until she finds out, so you can still prepare; mine's going to find out about this in the next few minutes, and I wouldn't be surprised if I get the cold shoulder for next week…" The guardsman laughed. "It won't be that bad, no women would be that cruel to a wounded man." Saito laughed at the guardsman's response. This man clearly had never met anyone like Louise.

As Saito carried the injured guardsman inside, he was waved over by Henrietta. Her white royal dress was stained red with blood from treating so many people, and she looked physically exhausted, but she was still trying to do everything she could. Saito helped lay the man down gently on the floor, and Henrietta set to work on his leg. "How many are we looking at here?" Henrietta asked. Professor Colbert followed behind with an injured civilian in his arms. "We've got around ten people who need healing magic. We've done what we can on board the Ostlant before we landed." He answered before Saito could. "Very Well, thank you Professor. Saito, hold him down for a second." Henrietta instructed. "This will hurt, but try and bear with it." She told the guard who nodded, and shut his eyes and clenched his fist tightly. Saito held the soldier down as best he could as Henrietta pulled the arrow out. The soldier winced, but didn't jump bolt upright, much to Saito's surprise. Henrietta then used her healing magic to close the wounds as best she could. "One down… about nine more to go." She thought to herself. Today had been anything like what she had thought it would be, though she knew, perhaps in some ways better than anyone, life was never anything if not unpredictable and complicated.

It took around an hour for everyone to be treated. During that time, the majority of the remaining royal guard had returned from the town with a few more people they'd found alive. Some had chosen to remain behind to keep looters away, and keep a watch in case the slavers decided they wanted another fight. Luciana and Vitartial had used their powers to create shelter for the people, as night was closing in quickly. It wasn't anything special, but it would at least put a roof over their heads and somewhere to rest during the night. While this did originally generate much fear and a few comments, the sight of Saito and Tabitha thanking them for their help with the injured put most people in a calmer state of being. Fortunately for the people, the land was currently going through its summer period, so there was little chance of any heavy rains to worry about. While Saito was talking with a few of the people, who were thanking him and the Royal Guards for coming to their aid so quickly, Louise and his parents came out to find him.

"Saito!" Louise cried when she saw him, Saito barely had time to brace himself as she threw herself into his arms, and held him tightly. She gave him a kick in the shins "That's for making me worry, and getting hurt!" she said angrily. "We were so worried… what happened to your head?" His mom asked. "I'd love to say it was during a heroic duel with the Slaver commander… sadly, the truth is I slipped and hit my head as I fell." Saito replied with a sigh and a shrug, which set the townspeople off laughing. "Well… at least he's honest about it!" One of them said. Louise didn't look that convinced, she'd gotten to know when Saito wasn't telling the truth pretty well, and she sensed this was one of those times. She put it down to not wanting to worry his parents, so decided not to press it any further. "Does it hurt?" his dad asked. Saito shook his head. "Nope, my pride on the other hand, is a different matter." He joked. "It looked like things went fairly smoothly in our emergency medical centre, though you all look exhausted." Saito added.

His Mom shook her head. "Believe me, this is one of those times I'm glad I was made to take that First Aid course… though I don't ever want to have to go through something like that again." Saito nodded. He knew that feeling all too well. He hated fighting, and would normally prefer to settle things with words, but in this case there'd been no choice. Mr Hiraga looked at the people who were resting under the shelters that had been built by Luciana and Vitratial. "Will they be alright?" he asked. Saito sighed. "I've given them permission to stay on the grounds for tonight. At first light, I'll accompany them back to the town and we can get a clearer idea of just how much needs to be rebuilt, and how long it'll take." Mr Hiraga was surprised. "You've really put thought into that already? It won't be cheap." "It won't be, but I'll make sure as much help is provided as possible." Henrietta said, as she joined the group. She'd borrowed some of Siesta's clothes, which as it turned out, suited her very well. Louise was stunned. "Your Majesty, surely you have something more… regal to wear?" she asked, trying not to sound rude. Henrietta giggled. "Always the noble huh Louise" she quipped, catching Louise of guard. "Besides, right now, it's not really the sort of time to be wearing expensive clothes. When I get back to the capital, I'll order the deployment of a group of Knights to defend the area, and an emergency fund will be available to you to help with the rebuilding of the town." A cheer erupted from the crowd of people nearby. "Long Live Queen Henrietta. Long Live Queen Charlotte!" Saito's parents were a bit confused. "Uhh… who's Charlotte? Is there another Queen here?" His mom whispered in Saito's ear as Henrietta and Tabitha were talking to the various people who had gathered to thank them for their help, and the offer of support. "It's Tabitha's real name. She called herself Tabitha to hide her identity for certain reasons, and it sort of stuck between friends and a few others. Most people do now just call her Charlotte." Louise answered in a low voice.

Mrs Hiraga nodded, trying to work out just what sort of situation would require her to hide her identity. "I guess that makes sense, sounds like there's some complicated reasons behind it though." "Believe me, there were" Came a reply from behind them. Kirche was walking up to them looking around, her flame red hair flowing in the breeze. Her shirt still looked like it was several sizes too small for her chest, but since when did she ever care about that? "I don't suppose you've seen darling anywhere have you? He vanished on my about ten minutes ago… Playing hard to get as usual I suspect." Everyone, apart from Saito's parents, sweat dropped. It looked like Professor Colbert had finally managed to slip away from her for a few minutes, which going on how clingy she was, was no small feat, though it was clear she hadn't given up trying to woo him. "Kirche… will you ever give up trying to make him fall in love with you?" Louise asked, shaking her head. "I mean, he is technically our teacher." Saito's parent's jaws nearly hit the floor in surprise… did this world have no rules against student – teacher relationships? Or was this man a very talented individual who became a teacher at a young age. If it was the latter, then it would make a bit more sense. "What can I say…? I love a man who has so much power… and he's a fire mage like me, so it makes it even better." It was only then that Kirche noticed Saito's parents, and the shocked expression they were wearing. "Umm… can I help you?" she asked innocently. "Kirche, these are Saito's parents, Mr and Mrs Hiraga." Louise said, shaking her head still. It took a few seconds for the penny to drop, Kirche became a bit embarrassed. "Oops… this is awkward I forgot Saito said you were here. Allow me to introduce myself, Kirche Zerbst, a flame mage." She said, bowing awkwardly "No if you'll excuse me… I think I can see darling over there!" and with that, she hurried away to continue looking for Professor Colbert.

There was a few seconds of silence before Louise looked over at a nearby tree. "Your safe for now!" she called out. A few seconds later, Professor Colbert dropped down, surprising everyone but Louise, who had seen him climb up quickly. "That girl is persistent, I'll give her that much." He muttered, brushing off a few leaves and sticks that had gotten caught to his coat and staff. Mr Hiraga couldn't help but chuckle. "I take it this is a very one-sided romance then?" he asked. Professor Colbert nodded. "I respect her skills as a mage and as my pupil, but I keep telling her I'm not interested in a relationship… though it seems she either doesn't get it, or refuses to listen." "Or she's playing you" Saito and Louise both thought. It was no secret that Kirche was the sort of woman who threw herself at men. She'd even tried to seduce Saito not long after he'd beaten Guiche in a duel. "Anyway, Professor Jean Colbert." He walked forward and shook Mr Hiraga's hand "I'm a teacher at the Magic Academy. I must say I'm so glad I finally get to meet you." Mrs Hiraga nodded "Saito has told us a lot about you today." Professor Colbert laughed "only the good I hope. I do have many things I'd like to ask you about your world, if you don't mind." "That'll have to wait… darling!" came a call from behind him. Kirche had found him, and had wrapped her arms around his waist tightly "Not again…" the professor thought to himself. "Can't I have a few minutes to myself?" he asked Kirche, who merely pouted playfully. "But I can't help it, I get lonely without you." "These two are like some really badly written soap couple" Saito's parents thought.

"Umm, Louise, Saito, can I speak to you both for a minute?" Came a call from Siesta inside the mansion. "Excuse us, we'll be right back." Saito and Louise walked back inside, leaving his parents to talk with the Professor. As they walked inside, they saw Illococoo had returned to her human form, and was sitting in the kitchens with Siesta. "I see you managed to find somewhere quiet to transform" Louise said. Illococoo nodded. "Sure, but it was not easy when people are constantly on the lookout for anything that is suspicious… You know there are times when I just wish master would let me openly transform… it would save me so much time." She sighed. "You can't exactly blame her, I mean, familiars being able to transform are a very rare thing. She just wants to keep you safe." Louise pointed out. Saito nodded. "Anyway, what's up Siesta?" Siesta paused for a second. "What are we going to do about food? I've taken a quick look, and there is no way we can provide enough food for everyone, let alone the townspeople. I really wasn't expecting to many people to suddenly turn up unannounced, and now what with the incident in the town… it's put us in a difficult position." Saito thought deeply. "Louise, Do you have enough power to open a portal now?" he asked. Louise thought about it for a second. "Well… I can probably open a portal into Earth, but I don't have anywhere near enough power to keep it open while you go grab some supplies. Hell, even opening it would be difficult, maintaining it… I don't know." She replied honestly. "Fine, no problem. I'd rather we didn't end up suddenly getting people stuck back on Earth, so let's not risk that." Saito replied. "Illococoo, when you were flying over-head, what were the state of the crops and other things?" Illococoo thought about it for a second. "They appeared largely untouched, but I don't think it's safe enough to risk going to grab what we need tonight. It's too dark, and for all we know, there could be a few pockets of resistance that have returned."

"Umm, maybe I can help" Came a call from the back door into the kitchen. As it opened, it revealed Tiffania, closely followed by Arie and Luctania. Tiffania ran over to Louise and gave her a big hug. "I've missed you so much." She said, as Louise returned it. "Same, how's things been in the Elven Lands." Saito coughed to interrupt them. "Sorry to interrupt, but we really need to think of a way to get everyone fed. Hungry people tend to be unhappy people; no matter how grateful they are for doing all we can to rescue them. What's your idea Tiffa?" he asked. "Well… the Ostlant did pick up a large amount of supplies in preparation for while travelled around the kingdoms for the various meetings we've got in the weeks ahead. I can't see any reason why we can't donate what's needed for tonight. And, while it'd be a bit tight and cramped, we could probably cook and prepare a lot of it on board the Ostlant." Saito thought about it. "If you can, it would be a huge help." Luctania looked at Arie "See if you can get a few humans who know anything about cooking, we're going to need some volunteers to help." Arie gave a huff. "Why me?" Luctania went serious. "Do it, or we're getting divorced!" Arie sighed "fine fine…" he muttered as he headed back outside. After a few moments, Luctania burst out laughing. "Ohh he is SO easy to manipulate…"

* * *

**Authors Note:**

I've had a few people asking me about how long this story will be. Currentplans are for around 10-12 chapters, but I have enough stuff on the sidelines to carry this on for a lot more than that. I'll keep this going as long as I can keep thinking of good material for it.


	7. Food Brings People Together

**The Familiar of Zero – Trouble In Paradise**

**Chapter 7 – Food Brings People Together**

Arie left the mansion quickly. "Damn that woman" he thought. He knew she was always playing him on, but there wasn't that much he could do about it. Even when they were kids, she'd always been able to wind him up, to the point where he pretty much just accepted it now, knowing he'd never win an argument against her. Still, it was that part of her personality that he did love, and was one of the reasons he married her. As he approached the Ostlant, he saw Vitartial talking to Queen Charlotte. Despite all that had happened between them, the two had moved on pretty well, though Arie could see that Charlotte was still on her guard around him. But he guessed that was to be expected. He knew he'd be in the same situation, which did make him chuckle. Until a few months ago, he never knew just how similar Elves and Humans really were, yet it was only when he met Tiffa and her human friends that he realised it.

As he walked began to approach he saw several members of the human crew that served on board the Ostlant. "Hey, Arie" One called out to him with a wave. "Hey" He replied. "Tiffania's asked us to use some of our supplies to help get these people fed. I trust we can count on your skills in the kitchen?" he asked. The crew nodded. "Sure, any particular meal?" The chef asked. Arie didn't really know, human and elven cuisine was quite different, especially when it came to large meals. "Something that'll boost the people spirits. After all they've been through today; they're going to need it." The chef thought about it for a second. "I know just the recipe, leave it to me." Arie nodded. "Just don't burn the food again." He joked, which made the chef laugh "Hey, it was Kirche who burnt the food, not me." Arie groaned, remembering that night well. Kirche had decided to follow the mantra of "the way to a man's heart, is through his stomach. The end result was a meal that was almost black and spicy beyond belief. Arie felt sick just thinking about it. "Let's just not let her loose in the kitchen this time." He replied laughing, as he pulled on an apron. "Wait… you're going to help?" one of the crew asked in surprise. Arie nodded. "I take it Luciana threatened to divorce you again if you didn't huh?" one of the crew members asked. Again, Arie nodded. "She's just playing around, besides… this gives me a chance to get even with her." He replied with a glint in his eye, making the chef laugh.

Back inside the mansion, Louise and Tiffa were catching up with one another. Saito had gone for a lie down, feeling a little tired after the day's battle, while Siesta had gone to see if anyone else needed any help. As he lay in his bed, he could hear the people outside. He could hear some of them crying, those who had friends and family that had been lost or were missing. Some were thanking the Queens, the crew of the Ostlant and the guards for coming to their aid and helping in their hour of needed. Others were laughing and joking with one another. He smiled. This was the part about being a Noble that he loved, and wanted others to copy. During this time of crisis, everyone had come together, regardless of their social rank. It had meant nothing to any of them when it mattered. He sighed. He knew that very few of the other nobles would adopt this kind of approach to life. Most valued coin more than their fellow man, which led to huge problems at times.

Saito briefly began to doze off, when he heard a knock on the door. It opened slowly, and Louise walked in, closing the door behind her. "How you feeling?" she asked as she sat on the end of the bed. Saito sat up. "Tired… but that's a given with the day we've had… Where's Tiffa?" he asked. "She's talking to Henrietta outside." Saito yawned "I haven't felt this sleepy since the day after our wedding." He joked, making Louise blush a bright, crimson red, as she remembered the night of their wedding. Neither of them slept that much that night. "Still… I have to wonder…" Saito thought aloud. Louise looked puzzled as she snapped out of her memory. "Wonder what?" she asked, not sure of where this was going. "Wonder why none of our plans ever work out like we hope they would." Louise sighed at his response. He'd broken her out of her happy memory for that? If he wasn't injured, and more to the point, if his parents weren't here, she'd probably have hit him for it. "I don't know, but things always seem to work out in the end." Saito leaned over and kissed her neck tenderly. "You know, I doubt the food will be ready for a little while yet, and besides, the people are getting served first…" Louise knew what he was hinting at, and pushed him down, then lay on top of him. Her pink hair brushed against his face. She moved her face closer to his, as Saito put his arms around her, and the two kissed passionately…

Outside, the food was being prepared. The chef was working miracles in the Kitchen, seemingly squeezing out the most from everything he used. Arie watched closely when he wasn't running around trying to help… and not get in everyone's way. Luciana, wondering where her husband had disappeared to, poked her head into the ships kitchen. "So this is where you've been hiding" she said plainly. Arie glanced over at her. "They need as many hands as they can get, so I offered to do what I could… we are cooking for almost 400 you know" Arie was busy slicing a load of carrots. "Just don't give everyone food poisoning, that's all I ask." Luciana sighed. "If you do, we're…" "Getting a divorce?" the cooking crew interrupted, before bursting out with laughter. Luciana couldn't help herself and starting laughing as well. "Well, it seems they get the idea anyway" she said, trying to calm herself down. "I'll see you at dinner Arie!" she called as she disappeared from view.

Saito's parents, meanwhile, were sitting with Professor Colbert and Kirche inside, telling him about their world, and how technology, while it had made life easier, had come at a cost that the world was now having to try and deal with in the form of Global warming, food shortages, rising prices etc. Kirche was pretty lost, but did understand a basic form of what they meant. For Professor Colbert, it opened a whole train of thought he never had considered about the world around him, and how peoples actions could affect things to come in a far bigger way down the years than he ever thought possible. If technology did become as big and widely used in Halkgenia as it was on Earth, could there world face the same problems? Earth was a more complicated place than he ever thought. He definitely had to go and visit one day, so he could see things for himself.

Queens Henrietta and Tabitha were talking with Vitartial and Tiffa, using the opportunity to catch up and get a better understanding of how things were going between the pursuit of better human and Elven relations. Tiffa explained to them that, although things were tense at times between both sides, so far, the response had been largely good. The Elven council was currently in debates over whether or not to send an invite to the various Kings and Queens in the human lands so they could have a debate in the Elven territories on how best to proceed. Tiffa also pointed out that there were many forming groups to oppose the other race being in each other's land on both Human and Elven kind. They'd been causing some problems along the borders for years anyway, so they weren't anything new, but now that both sides were looking at a peace plan, they'd started to become a real thorn in the sides.

Agnes was talking to the troops who had gone into the town. She was more than a little surprised by there report. Slavers being so far out and going after a remote town didn't make sense, especially when you considered that many in the town were elderly. She came to the conclusion that desperate times from the past few years had made people consider becoming slavers purely to help get by. Indeed, many a noble would probably by a slave because it was often cheaper than hiring a servant. Still, she was proud of the men under her command. They had done their duty will, and she had been informed that they would be honoured later when the food was served.

Finally, Siesta was lying under a tree, gazing up at the night sky, deep in thought, having finally been able to get some time to rest herself. Her mind was racing with the day's events, and what she'd seen in her few, brief, moments on Earth, the home of her Grandfather… she was the first member of her family to set foot there since he stumbled into Halkgenia. A smile appeared across her face. She was excited about the idea of visiting Earth, and desperately wanted to go there when Saito's parents returned.

After about an hour, the cooking crew on the Ostlant, with the help of the guards, began distributing the food and drinks among the people. They were gracious for the hot food; sat down under the Shelters that Vitartial and Luciana had created with their Elven magic. Saito and Louise emerged from the mansion, with Saito giving Louise a quick peck on the cheek, before going off to help hand out food. Louise went and sat down next to Saito's parents. Mrs Hiraga moved over slightly so Louise could sit next to her. "I wondered where you and Saito disappeared to." She said, looking up at the clear night sky. Seeing two moons, one pink and one blue, in the sky was a really strange experience. Louise blushed slightly. "Saito asked me to help him change his bandage" Louise lied, and saw Mrs Hiraga's expression as she gazed at the stars. "Saito had a similar look on his face, you know, when he first saw the twin moons." Mrs Hiraga laughed. "It's not really surprising when you think about it. In our world we only have one, which is white and it's not this close or bright in the night sky." Louise looked back up at the sky. It was hard to imagine a moon like that, but it was something she really wanted Saito to see.

As the food was handed out, to everyone, and everyone was seated, Henrietta tapped a glass and stood up, drawing everyone's attention. "Before we all eat this wonderful, much appreciated meal, I would like to propose a toast to the incredible courage that everyone has shown here today. I have been greatly inspired by what I've seen here today. I know that among us, there are those who have lost friends, family… and loved ones. But, as your Queen, I swear to you, that I will not sit by. As I have told Lord Saito, upon my return to the capital, I will be ordering troops be sent to help keep the town safe from future attacks, pursue any surviving slavers, and will also be sending financial aid to help the rebuilding of the town." A round of applause erupted from the people gathered. "Secondly, I must also thank our Elven friends Vitartial, Arie and Luciana, who have helped us out today, showing that Humans and Elves are making real progress towards a permanent peace between our races." A second round of applause erupted from the crowd, though not quite as loud as the first. "Finally, it goes without saying that we owe the crew of the Ostlant a huge thank you for providing the supplies for tonight's meal, and for aiding civilians and wounded guardsmen to escape to here. Your actions saved many lives today." Another cheer erupted, and Henrietta sat down. Saito stood up next. "I'm not usually one for making speeches, as anyone who knows me will tell you." He began, causing Louise to face palm. "He just had to go with that opening" she thought to herself. "But, on behalf of everyone here, I feel the need to make this one. Your highnesses, my friends, family, crew members of the Ostlant, and members of the Royal Guards. The people of Ornières owe you all a debt that I doubt any of us will ever be able to fully repay. Without your assistance, things could have been a lot worse here today, but thanks to everyone's help, Ornières can rebuild. On behalf of everyone in Ornières, I would like to extend an invitation to you all. When the rebuilding is complete, we would be honoured if everyone could come and visit." A cheer erupted from the crowd, and, as Saito sat down, everyone began to tuck into their meals. Though just a simple meat and vegetable dish, it tasted amazing. As Mr and Mrs Hiraga ate, they both had the same thought. "Our son has found his place here"

Arie, meanwhile, was watching Luciana eat carefully, waiting for her reaction. He'd added some strong spices to her portion just before serving it up to her – his way of getting her back for winding him up all the time. However, she didn't seem fazed by it. "Is your meal alright?" he asked, taking a sip of wine. Luciana nodded. "It's great, a real unusual flavour, I might have to get you to cook more often." She replied. Arie sighed. "It seems she doesn't notice the heat…" he thought to himself, as he began to eat. As he put the food in his mouth, his eyes widened like saucepans, and his mouth felt like it was on fire. He quickly swallowed and took a mouthful of wine, gasping as he tried to catch his breath, "Is everything alright honey?" Luciana asked, and lent over and whispered in his ear. "You've got to be better than that if you want to get one over on me…" Arie noticed the glint in her eyes. "This woman… is dangerous" he thought to himself, taking another sip of wine.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

I've had a request to have a certain individual turn up in the story. I'm not going to say who this person is, as it was sent in a PM, but I will see that they will be making their presence known in a very, very funny way. Keep watching the story, and as always, I love reading your reviews and feedback - I like to think it helps my story evolve better, and you guys have some awesome ideas

Also, I will be announcing the name of my next fan-fic in the next few chapters. As I have said before, this will strike a much darker tone than this one, and feature OC characters as the main, but will still involve the traditional cast. I have also decided not to link it to the events in this story directly, but I may reference one or two points where possible.


	8. The Morning After the Night Before

**The Familiar of Zero – Trouble In Paradise**

**Chapter 8 – The Morning After the Night Before**

After everyone had eaten the meal, cooked up by the crew of the Ostlant and Arie, who was still trying to cool his mouth down following his failed attempt at trying to get back at his wife Luciana, who had made him eat every bit of the over-spiced meal he had prepared for her, people had begun to get themselves settled down for the night in the shelters that had been created by the Elves. Saito and Louise had given their room to Saito's parents; two of the guest rooms had been given to Queens Henrietta and Tabitha, while the remaining guest and servants rooms had been given to the injured, elderly, or members of the Guards that had returned from fighting in the town. The Ostlant had also done what it could to provide beds for those who needed them, as it was decided that it would be best to survey the damage from the attack on the town in the morning, when it would be safest for the people to return to their homes.

Saito was lying on the grass, gazing up at the clear night sky. It was hard to believe, that two years ago, he was staring up at this sky in disbelief and shock, with the full realisation hitting him that he was no longer on Earth. When that happened, it felt like the ground had been torn from under his feet. Everything and everyone he knew, he wasn't able to see again, and had had to adjust himself to a life in a world of magic and dragons… a world in which he was the legendary Gandalfr, the familiar to Louise, one of four void mages. Yet, as he gazed up at this sky now, it felt right to him. Part of him wanted to return to Earth, to try and go back to the life he once had, but another part of him told him that this was where he needed to stay. Saito sat up slowly, having heard the sound of footsteps on the cool grass approaching him.

"Ecu for your thoughts master?" Siesta asked, having changed out of her maid uniform and into her night clothes. Saito hated to admit it, but they hugged her figure almost too well. He glanced away, mentally telling himself that not only was he now a married man, but also reminding himself that Louise would kill him if he did anything with any other woman. "I was just thinking about when I first saw this sky" he replied, which made Siesta chuckle as she sat next to him. "If I remember correctly, wasn't the first time you saw it while you were trying to escape from the Magic Academy?" Saito nodded. "Yeah, it was a real shock… finding myself in a world I never knew existed. A world with magic and dragons, and I was meant to be a familiar to someone who… well…" Saito paused; trying to find the right words, while also glancing around to make sure Louise wasn't in ear-shot. "Came across as a bit of a spoilt brat?" Siesta asked, filling in the blank. Saito nodded. "Sounds about right… just don't let Louise hear you say that about her." Saito winked. Siesta giggled softly. "Actually, I'd think she'd be the first to admit it. Since she met you… she's like a completely different person." Saito thought about what Siesta had just said for a second. "Almost… she still has that deadly temper of hers." He thought to himself. "Still" Siesta added "I think almost everyone who has met you has changed, and mostly for the better."

"Maybe…" he replied, noticing Louise coming towards him "Speak of the devil" he finished, tapping the ground next to him for Louise to sit beside him. "I wondered where you'd both gone." Louise said, sitting down. "Sorry, was just thinking about everything that's happened in the last two years…" Saito said, staring at the stars and twin moons. Louise closed her eyes. "It's been anything but simple… I got stuck with an idiot of a familiar, who has a bad habit of getting himself and me into trouble, we've been in more battles than I ever dreamed off… and to top it all off, I'm stuck with you as my husband." She said, poking Saito in the side playfully. Saito laughed. "Yeah… where I'm from things like that are usually called Karma... Payback for something you've done in your past" He replied. "Still… with all we've been through… I have to wonder just what the future holds for us." He wondered. Louise sighed "I just hope whatever it brings; it has less fighting in it. I've had enough of it to last a lifetime." Saito nodded in agreement with his wife. "And so have the people…" he thought, as he lay down and drifted off to sleep.

As the sun rose over the Mansion, Saito was one of the first to wake up. As his eyes adjusted to the bright light filtering its way through the leaves in the tree, he glanced over to his left. Louise was holding his arm tightly, deep in a heavy sleep. Saito couldn't help but smile as he gazed at her face. While Louise's temper nearly always drove him up the wall, seeing her when she was sleeping always made up for it in his mind. She looked so carefree, so peaceful… and very cute. As he slowly sat up, he carefully removed his arm from Louise's grasp. It wasn't easy, especially because, thanks to Louise holding him so tightly, his arm had gone numb. After a few minutes, he managed to get himself free, and she was still sleeping peacefully. As Saito turned his head to the left, he saw that Siesta was no longer lying next to him. Placing his hand on the ground where she had been laying, it was still fairly warm, meaning she too had not been up long. Saito sighed. "She's probably gone to start her work… I should've told her to take it easy last night" he thought to himself as he walked towards the mansion. As he approached the door, Agnes opened it, and almost walked right into him. "Ahh… sorry Saito… uhh, I mean My Lord" she apologised, and bowed her head.

Saito chuckled. "Agnes, don't worry about the formalities, we're all friends here, right? Still, I'm surprised to see you up this early; I figured you might have slept for another hour or so." Agnes shook her head. "As tempting as that would be, it's pretty much be drilled into me to get up at dawn… or when I sense danger approaching." She added after a pause for thought. Saito paled. "Please tell me this is a dawn case, and not more trouble? I don't think I can handle any more just yet" he replied, causing Agnes to laugh. "Nope, you're in luck on that one. I was actually going to do a little bit of training… but, seeing as you're awake, what do you say to a bit of sparing? It's been a while since we've fought." Saito nodded. "Sounds like a good idea to me, I could use the practise. I suggest we go around the back though… don't want to wake the people up." "Agreed, lead on" Agnes went to bow, but stopped herself, remembering what Saito had said, and followed behind Saito.

Inside, Siesta had gotten changed into her maid outfit, but wasn't really sure where to begin with her work. Normally, she'd have started the cleaning, then she'd go onto wake up Louise and Saito, before she would go and prepare breakfast for the three of them. However, the mansion was now filled with VIP's and injured people, and almost every room had been in use by someone for the night. Deciding that today was probably going to be a day where taking it easy would be best, or at least waiting until she knew what the situation with the town was, she opened the window in the kitchen a little, pulled up a chair, and relaxed as best she could while waiting for a pot of tea to finish preparing as the cool air passed through the kitchen, and down into the hallway.

The sound of the birds singing in the trees nearby, and the gentle rustling of the leaves as the breeze passed through them was very relaxing. Siesta often listened to them, and it always seemed to help her keep a smile on her face, no matter what was going on around her. As the pot of tea boiled, she heard the faint sound of footsteps heading down the old oak staircase; it creaked gently with each step. Glancing down the hallway, she saw Mr and Mrs Hiraga who headed into the kitchen. They looked like they'd just gotten straight out of bed. "Good Morning Siesta" Mr Hiraga yawned as he entered the kitchen. "Good Morning to you both" Siesta replied, "I was just making some tea. Would you like a cup?" she asked. "I'd love one." Mrs Hiraga replied, trying to tidy up her hair. "Please" Mr Hiraga answered, looking out of the window over the grounds. "I have to admit, I half expected to wake up and find everything that happened yesterday was nothing but a dream." He said, staring at the sky. "It's still taking a while to sink in… Our son returning to us after two years missing, and in that time, he's become a noble, a war hero, and a husband in a world of magic." Mrs Hiraga added as she sat down. Siesta finished pouring them their drinks and sat back down. "So much has happened in those two years here… Saito has changed everyone he's met for the better. Normally, Nobles and Royalty wouldn't even consider talking to a commoner like me as an equal, yet now many do." Mr Hiraga chuckled. "He always was the sort of kid who'd do what his heart told him, regardless of the risk and what anyone else thought." Mrs Hiraga nodded as she sipped her tea. "Yes… and that usually ended with him coming back black and blue… I guess that hasn't changed in the last few years at least." She giggled, thinking back to the state he'd come back in yesterday.

As Mr Hiraga pulled up his seat, he could hear the sounds of swords clashing outside. Saito and Agnes had started sparing. They had agreed on using wooden swords, mainly to try and keep the noise down as they fought. As the sun beat down on them, Saito darted forward, then to the left, hoping to catch Agnes off guard. However, Agnes was not the type to fall for such an obvious trick, and parried his blow, forcing Saito to jump back as she took a swing for his stomach. Saito landed and had to dive out of the way of a follow up attack. It had been a while since Saito had last spared with Agnes, but one thing was clear from the start, she'd definitely gotten better. As the two continued to clash, a crowd had started to form. It began with a few of the Royal Guards who had over-heard the two talking earlier. Some were even taking bets on who would win, and had begun cheering for their chosen fighter. On the grounds of the mansion, many of the people had been woken up by this, and were heading over to see what was going on.

On the top floor of the mansion, Queens Henrietta and Tabitha were watching with interest as well. Both had decided to share a room last night to help give enough space for the people who really needed the beds. "Impressive" Tabitha said, as she watched the two warriors fight. She'd only ever seen a handful of people fight on par with Saito and his Gandalfr powers, and almost none of them had used a sword, but Agnes was more than a match for him. It was clear to see just why she'd become the head of the Royal Guards.

Meanwhile, Louise was woken up with a start. A little girl, probably no more than four or five, had been running around and tripped over onto Louise, and had effectively head-butted her in the stomach as she landed. Louise shot bolt upright and coughed hard as she tried to get her bearings, and recover her breath. The little girl, who had fallen, was crying into her stomach with a small cut on her knee. "Samantha!" Came a call from a few feet away. Bleary eyed, Louise could just make out the image of a woman in her early thirties who was running over to them. As she picked up her daughter, and held her tightly, she bowed repeatedly to Louise. "My Lady, please forgive my daughter; I let her out of my sight for just a moment and…" Louise stood up and dusted herself off. "Don't worry about it; kids will be kids I guess." She said, as her eyes focused to the light. "Is she alright?" Louise asked. "A small graze, but that's it. I think you took the worst of it, if you don't mind my saying." The mother replied as Louise sighed. "Seems like it…" she thought to herself. As her eyes focused, she saw a large crowd had gathered, and could hear cheering. "What's going on over there?" she asked allowed. The mother was still trying to stop her daughter from crying. "Well, before my husband ran off to watch, he said something about Lord Saito sparing with the Royal Guard Captain…" Louise glanced down at the ground to where she had been sleeping, and only then did she realise that Saito and Siesta had both gone. She immediately felt her blood pressure begin to rise at the thought that both of them had forgotten about her. Quickly, however, she tried to calm herself down. She'd promised Saito she'd do everything she could to keep her temper in check. Slowly, she began to walk over to where the crowd had gathered, and through a force of habit, had already drawn her wand.

As Saito and Agnes continued to fight, the crowds cheering became louder and louder, filling with more energy as the two warriors crossed swords. "C'mon Captain!" Yelled one soldier. "You can do it M'Lord!" Came another yell from a townsperson. Saito's parents, as well as Siesta, had gone to the Kitchen window to watch. It was fair to say Saito's parents were shocked at just how well Saito could wield a sword in just two years of living in Halkgenia. Saito and Agnes both jumped back from each other after another flurry of strikes. Both were struggling to catch their breath as they tried to find an opening in each other's defences. "You've gotten better!" Saito called out to Agnes. Agnes chuckled. "Wish I could say the same for you" she replied, as a few laughs erupted from the crowd at her jibe. Saito mentally groaned at himself, having just walked right into that old joke, before charging forward. Agnes rushed forward herself, and both put everything they had into the next strike. A loud crack erupted, and silence fell on the crowd as Saito and Agnes again jumped back from each other again. A few seconds passed, that felt like an eternity, before two "clunks" were heard. Both Saito and Agnes looked down, and saw the same thing. They had broken each other's wooden blades right down to the hilts. Saito looked up at Agnes. "Uhh… I guess we call this a draw?" he asked, as he raised his free hand and offered it to Agnes while scratching the back of his neck, unsure how either of them were to continue the sparing match without blades. Agnes nodded. "A draw it is." She said simply, and shook Saito's hand tightly. A loud cheer and round of applause erupted from the crowd, and both Saito and Agnes turned to face them and bowed slightly. Almost everyone in the village and the guards had gathered to watch their fight.

"Very impressive both of you!" came a call from the mansion. Agnes and Saito both looked up to see Tabitha and Henrietta looking down at them from the open windows. Agnes and Saito bowed again. "Thank you, you're highness." Agnes called up. "Sorry if we disturbed you both, I think we got a little carried away." Saito chuckled. Tabitha shook her head. "You didn't. It was a good match." She said simply. "Though I would like to see a rematch some time, if only for a personal reason." She added. Saito and Agnes looked confused, as did the majority of the crowd. "What reason would that be, your majesty?" Saito asked, reminding himself to use their titles because there were other people around. Henrietta giggled. "Simple… we each placed a bet on who would win. We didn't plan for a draw!" At this, the crowd roared with laughter and chants for a rematch erupted. "Guess we'll have to fight again soon." Agnes said as she turned to face Saito. Saito nodded. "Guess so… I look forward to it." Saito replied, shaking her hand again, before turning his attention to the crowd gathered. "Right, who's for breakfast? All that sparing's given me quite the hunger!" he laughed, before feeling an all too familiar sense of danger. It was only then he noticed Louise walking slowly towards him through the crowd, her wand drawn, and the all too familiar expression on her face that told Saito he was going to get it, big time. Saito paled. "On second thought, I suddenly fancy a quick jog before breakfast!" he thought allowed and with that, he took off, with Louise in hot pursuit as everyone else roared with laughter again. As strong as Saito was, Louise was stronger because of her one track mind. Despite how tired he was, he always found himself able to run quickly when Louise was pissed off at him for one reason or another. He put it down to his survival instincts kicking in as he ran around the grounds, while Louise hurled Explosion spells at him.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

Apologies for the delay in getting this up guys. I've just started a new job, so getting the time to actually type up my chapters has been a bit of a pain. However, rest assured that I am still working on them, even if the updates have slowed down.


	9. A quick Update

**A quick Announcement**

Hello there ladies and gents, fans of my story, and the casual readers who just happen to pass by while looking for some other Authors story…

As you're probably aware, there have been a shortage of chapters recently, and this is down to my computer having a massive internal hard drive meltdown. Long story short, I've lost absolutely everything I have for this story, as well as all my personal stuff.

In short, I'm right back to square one, so for the time being, I am going to put Trouble in Paradise on hold – at least until I can get my brain in gear and the next set of chapters made.

I apologise for not letting you all know sooner, but I've only just got my new PC set up and connected to the next. However, this is not an update that is filled with all doom and gloom. Thanks to the vast majority of my written plans for a second fan-fic being made with a pen and paper, I can get to work on the second fan fic now, which is what I am planning to do.

The reason for this is simple – I need a break from **Trouble in Paradise**. I've been thinking so much about it while waiting for my new PC, I've kind of hit a wall that's stopping me from really making this story as good as we all want, and know it can be.

So, for the time being, **Trouble in Paradise** is going to be put on hold, at least until I can get back in the groove for it. I will begin work on a second story – **Zero Redemption** – This story starts right at the beginning of the Familiar of Zero, and while it will stay somewhat true to the original, I will be adding my own twist on things here and there.


End file.
